North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has secured yet another near-total electoral victory, with his ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and allied groups winning 99.93 per cent of the vote in the country’s latest parliamentary election.
The election, held on March 15 to choose members of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly, saw candidates backed by the ruling establishment win every single seat, according to state media outlet Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Official figures suggest that 99.93 per cent of people voted in favour of Kim’s party. However, state media reported a slightly higher figure of 99.97 per cent of votes, with voter turnout at an extraordinary 99.99 per cent.
Only about 0.0037 per cent of registered voters were unable to cast their ballots as they were abroad or working at sea, while an extremely small number, around 0.00003 per cent abstained, the media claimed.
Who won 0.07 per cent of votes?
There were no opposition candidates on the ballot. In each constituency, voters were given just one pre-approved candidate to either accept or reject. This means the remaining 0.07 per cent did not go to a rival party or leader. Instead, it represents voters who chose to vote “no” against the official candidate.
This is the first time in decades that North Korean state media has openly acknowledged “no” votes in a parliamentary election, something that hasn’t been publicly admitted since 1957, according to reports.
According to the country’s election laws, a total of 687 representatives, including workers, farmers, intellectuals, military personnel, and officials, were elected to the Supreme People’s Assembly.
Each constituency, however, features only one candidate, already approved by the ruling establishment led by Kim. Voters are given a simple choice: either approve the candidate or reject them.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the KCNA reported that 0.07 per cent of the electorate voted against the candidates.
Kim came to power in 2011 after his father, Kim Jong Il, died, and since then, he has been the country’s top authority.
In 2019, North Korea introduced changes to its Constitution to strengthen his control even further. Kim was officially made the head of state and his authority over the government, military, and state institutions was made “monolithic”.
